


Fatal Vows

by brokenhighways



Series: Fatal Charm [2]
Category: Hit the Floor (TV)
Genre: Betrayal, Las Vegas Wedding, M/M, Oblivious, Secrets, Shotgun Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26782636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenhighways/pseuds/brokenhighways
Summary: Jude knows once he and Zero get back to California, life is not going to be the same. His lies are going to catch up with him, and there's nothing he can do - so he asks Zero to marry him in Vegas.
Relationships: Jude Kinkade/Zero | Gideon
Series: Fatal Charm [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746166
Comments: 15
Kudos: 23
Collections: Zude





	Fatal Vows

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Mercury22 for reading through this!

There are flashing lights in the distance, the dull roar of chatter in the background, and faint clinks of glasses. The air smells like a mixture of sewage, fried food, and a lingering hint of lavender, like someone tried to mask the scent of the overworked sewers (and failed -  _ miserably _ ). The ‘Welcome To The Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign is visible in the background, fresh off Jude and Zero’s stop by it earlier.

It  _ should _ be a relaxing time, but it isn’t.

Not with everything Jude’s keeping to himself. 

"I can't believe that we  _ finally _ get to have a vacation,” Zero says, taking a swig of beer and grinning up at him.

Jude swallows down a gulp of his drink, not wanting Zero to realize that something is up. Unbeknown to him, this trip is a cover-up. A business trip/vacation/tidying up loose ends that were supposed to stay gone. They're outside an Italian restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip, camouflaging themselves in dark aviator sunglasses so people won't recognize them. Zero's got a baseball cap to boot, not that Jude blames him.

It's hard enough being who they are without the public scrutiny that comes with it. With Alexis a distant memory, they've been happier, and although last season was a mixed bag, they persevered. They worked on their relationship and now they're in the middle of planning their wedding. Jude's officially  _ running _ the team, on account of Oscar's assets temporarily defaulting to his mom. Apparently, Oscar never got around to updating his will after wife number three.

"Jude, your mind is supposed to be on vacation too." Zero's smile is teasing, and Jude realizes he's not answered.

"It's long overdue, yeah," he says. "It's just a shame I have to go to this meeting later."

There is no meeting; not an official one anyway. Once again, Alexis Matthews is a thorn in his spine and it's all his fault - he's had over a year to come clean. To explain to Zero why he helped her. To prove his intentions were good, to tell the truth, and yet...it's the lie that keeps on growing.

It’s never the right time. They’re  _ too _ happy. Things are  _ too _ good. Who can blame Jude for not wanting to lose the semblance of perfect he built up in his mind?

In a moment of desperation, he confessed all to Lionel and lost her friendship in the process. He can't bear losing Zero -  _ Gideon _ \- not when things are finally looking up. Last season was all about healing from the wounds of the year before. Jude found his feet as EVP before his role changed, and Zero was able to enjoy playing. There was no Oscar breathing down their necks, no  _ dead _ dancers or staff. It was just a regular season.

Now, though, Jude can feel a storm brewing. Something dark and insidious lying ahead - and he's in Vegas to stop it.

To see why Alexis has been calling him non-stop.

They agreed not to communicate with each other beyond email unless it was an emergency, so Jude has no choice. A voice niggles away in his mind, screaming  _ tell the truth _ .

Tell Zero now and they can deal with it together.

He ignores it, desperate to placate Alexis and smooth the issues out. Give her more money if she needs it, pull some strings if it's anything else.

Whatever it takes for this bubble they're in to remain intact.

***

After leaving Zero at their hotel, Jude drives his rental car to the neighborhood Alexis lives in, driving past rows of semi-detached houses wondering what it would be like to be  _ normal _ . Living in a normal house, working a nine-to-five job, throwing barbeques on Sunday afternoons, and repainting his picket fence a fresh white when it chipped. Watching the sunset go down before dinner, eating waffles and pancakes for breakfast, warm and satisfied because everything is perfect.

He doubts he's  _ ever _ going to have that - especially when Zero finds out.

The gnawing feeling grows when Alexis opens her front door. The dark hair doesn't throw him, on account of it being a similar color when he found her two years ago, broken and in fear of Oscar.

The perfectly rounded stomach does, and the first thing he blurts out is, "You're pregnant."

It took Zero a long time to get over Alexis's miscarriage, especially the guilt of not knowing and feeling like he caused it somehow. For that reason, a twisted part of Jude knows this is only going to look bad on him. Zero's going to blame Jude when he finds out, going to wonder what could have been.

He's going to  _ leave, _ and the thought is unbearable.

"I'm almost six months along." Alexis rubs her belly, inviting Jude in after glancing down the street.

"What do you want, Alexis?" Jude stays in the hallway. "What was so urgent I had to come out here?"

"Oscar. He knows where I am."

Jude's blood runs cold because...if it's true, it means...

"...does he know I helped you?"

"I don't know, Jude. We've been getting phone calls for the last two weeks. He says he knows where I am and not only is he going to find me, he's threatening to  _ kill _ me. I need your help."

Jude sweeps a hand across his face, struggling to process what she's telling him. "How did he find out where you were?"

Alexis jabs a finger at him. "I could ask you the same thing. Who did you tell?"

_ Lionel _ , he thinks, but out loud he says, "No one. I haven't told anybody. I have no idea how he found out."

Lionel might not agree with his decision, but not even  _ she _ would tell Oscar. Not with everything he did to her.

"Grady's getting impatient. He wants us to go and wants us to go now, but..." Alexis glances behind her like she’s trying to keep her words a secret.

"What?"

"I had to warn you. And Zero."

Jude's irritation bleeds out of him because he can't be mad at that. Zero is  _ his _ main priority and he can't begrudge her for having their backs.

"I'll figure something out. Just sit tight. Stay low. I'll book you a room at a hotel, but if he hasn't done anything by now...it's probably just a warning."

"What is he warning  _ me _ about?" Alexis asks. "It's not like I can tell the FBI what he did. I'm supposed to be dead."

_ This isn't about her _ , Jude thinks. He can feel it in his gut. 

Oscar's always been a spiteful man.

"The warning isn't for you. It's for me."

***

"We should get married. Here. Now."

Jude's whirlwind day is almost at an end, and he knows once they get back to California nothing is going to be the same. His lies are going to catch up with him and there's nothing he can do.

All he wants is to be with Gideon, in every possible way. One last moment of happiness before it falls away.

"You want to get married in Vegas?"

"Why not?" Jude rubs Zero's arm gently. "We've been in the spotlight since you kissed me in front of the world. Why not have this moment of secrecy. Just you and me."

Zero's smile forms slowly, a subtle upturn of lips and a bright gleam in his eyes. "Fuck it. Let's do it."

"Yeah?" Jude's not sure who he's trying to convince - Zero or himself.

"Yeah." Zero leans in, kissing him slowly. "I'd marry you wherever, whenever, Jude. Now is as good a time as any. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Later, when the officiant tells him to repeat _ 'I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health' _ Jude realizes he's gone too far.

...but he can't back out.

Not when there's too much at stake.

**Author's Note:**

> The final story is on its way! I took up video editing again and made an extended trailer vid for the whole series.
> 
> You can watch it [here](https://www.dropbox.com/s/q6051hmmaj5wfgo/Fatal%20Charm%20Series%20Extended%20Trailer%20.wmv?dl=0) via Dropbox!
> 
> The sound is a bit off in places, but everything should be audible! 


End file.
